Indigo

Shame how it's worked out as I think he would have proved to be a very good signing for us were he able to stay at all fit. For all the talk on here about Fer I think Carroll was a better option that suited us more. Still a weird one given he wasn't even fit when he signed for us though, this'll be a case of forgetting he ever even played for us within a season or two.

He's just on a different level individually and takes us up several notches as a team when he's on the pitch. He was only "quiet" in terms of not being directly involved in a goal but otherwise ran the game and was probably more involved than any player on the pitch. That first half was as good as we've played in a long time (outside of grabbing another goal...or two or three) and it was largely due to Jack dictating the game as he now tends to.

That's fine and I'm sure you did have that completely balanced viewpoint, but it doesn't really disprove the point that far more than one bloke were throwing out completely outlandish and reactionary opinions on Jack's ability at the start of the season, and that it's all noticeably quieted down now.

To be fair if you go back far enough to earlier in the season there was a lot more than just one person saying it. All of whom are notable by their absence now, or at least that opinion anyway. Jack will continue to prove a lot of people wrong in the coming years imo, the guy is far beyond this level and will keep proving as much for the rest of the season. We're lucky to have held onto him for this long, never mind if we somehow managed to do so next season (assuming promotion is beyond us...).

Cue Wilder now being at fault for not playing to the strengths of a player that can't control, pass, or offer to even receive the ball...

If he could get himself up to speed relatively quickly then Tuanzebe and Mings would be some partnership during the run-in. Both excellent on the ball at this level and their styles would compliment one another so well. Just a shame it hasn't been able to happen already.

Remember when he was overrated

Having him back at all is a massive boost. I suspect these will be the last 12 games he'll be a Villa player for so it'll be good to see him play as much as possible. He wasn't at his best at the start of the season but was still our best player, just received unjust criticism based on the expectations placed on him. Particularly once he found form he was levels above anyone in the side and it's really been felt during his absence.

Feels crazy that 10 years has already flown by. Remember that day very well, after throwing the Europa League there was a sense that we had to make good on our promise in the league to justify it. We were on course for a fairly routine win that day - Carew's goal in particular being a highlight - until we royally Villa'd it. I didn't actually see the Whelan goal as only being 15 at the time I had to bow to my dad's seniority when he insisted we had to leave early. Thought it was a job well done until we were walking outside the Doug Ellis and Stoke fans suddenly started going ballistic...

The fans have somehow managed to be even worse than the team this season.

Ball got played through to him at the edge of the box, he was clean through one on one with Buckland but panicked and blasted it over upon receiving it.

If ever there was a sign that confidence is shot it's that from El Ghazi. Jesus Christ. Clean through on goal and does that. Tammy Abraham must be wondering why he's even bothering with this shite.

I despair for certain sections of our fan base at times. I understand that every club has them and you can't help it, but this season alone has reflected so poorly on us. Cabbage Gate was embarrassing, today with Hourihane was ridiculous, and even comparatively minor stuff I've found myself cringing at like the needlessly personal and insulting replies to Villa putting a tweet up wishing Neil Taylor a happy birthday the other week has contributed to this borderline if not already toxic atmosphere. Sometimes we don't help ourselves.

The longer we give the likes of Hutton a pass for "trying/passion/giving it 100%" the longer we'll remain as shite as we are. There are Sunday league players that try their hearts out every week but I wouldn't have them playing for us at right back. He was a liability in the Premier League and he's gone on to be just as much of a liability at middling Championship level. Roll on the summer.

If there's a way of disproving your own point that our squad is good, then listing Alan Hutton as evidence for it is the way to go about it.

I think the signings have been good and we're in a better place for them (do not understand the complaints about Carroll at all myself), but christ on a bike I cannot believe we're going into the business end of the season with Hutton and Taylor still as our first choice full backs. I'm counting down the days until this hellish existence ends.

Fits Smith's style to a tee and never looked out of place in the Premier League whenever I saw him. Bit confused to see people complaining about getting him instead of Fer when we need a specialist deep-lying playmaker and Carroll is one while Fer isn't. It'll be like having a Hourihane that actually looks for the ball off the back four to start moves, and will allow Hourihane to move further forward where he probably belongs. Still a bit lightweight defensively but between Ryan Woods and McEachran, Smith didn't tend to use players in the position that didn't fit that description so it's a move that actually makes complete sense. I despair at our full back options but otherwise this hasn't been a bad window overall.

Can't say I ever thought too highly of him in the Premier League but for where we are now he'd be a pretty good addition, certainly relative to our squad currently anyway. Not sure where the notion that he's an obvious fit for the DM position we've been lacking in though? He's a bit of a physical presence but he's never really played there to my knowledge and has mostly been either a centre or attacking midfielder. As we've seen with Hourihane, Smith evidently doesn't mind trying players in different roles so I wouldn't be surprised to see him played there, but I dunno if he's necessarily the player that offers the defensive aspects of that role.

Fer has become the new Nigel Quashie in terms of being a perennial relegator of teams, not sure he has the best of reputations from his time with his clubs in the Premier League. Would obviously be a good addition to our midfield in our current state though, but he's really not a defensive midfielder and if there's one thing we're crying out for it's (a good, mobile) one of them and a left back assuming Mings is actually to be used at CB, so it's a bit weird that the talk is of him and a right back we're apparently going to send straight back. We'd be stronger than we started the day off as though so c'est la vie I suppose.

Alan Hutton couldn't do a better job than Nicklas Helenius at right back.

That's fine, and I don't particularly rate him either, but it doesn't really change the point.

But all of that means it makes more sense for us to keep and play Bree rather than loan him out. Elmo and Hutton are poor, aging and probably won't be here come next season - why have either of them ahead of Bree in the pecking order then? Give Bree the run of game time here and see how he gets on. It's not like we're loaning him to a League 2 side, we signed him from a Championship team he was playing well in and are apparently considering loaning him to a Championship side. He's clearly at least capable at this level so why not play him for the remainder of the season instead of two players who aren't of any more use than him that have absolutely no future here in comparison.

If Bree has a future at the club and Hutton and Elmo don't beyond this season then what is the point in loaning Bree out exactly? Give him the minutes here if that's the case and make him the first choice right back for the rest of the season. Best of both worlds as he gets the minutes he needs but he gets them here rather than going out on loan and then having to attempt to find his feet here again. If we're working towards next season and only hopeful of a play-off place then surely playing a player who will be here and not persevering with two that won't fits the brief. Hutton and Elmo are both shite too and obviously the salient point is that it keeps both of them out.

That pair of Chalobah tweets just sum up how pointless it is to try to base anything or have any expectations of off what any of these lot come out with. Best port of call is just checking back tomorrow and praying we've gotten in a midfielder and a left back at the very least.